In the House of Lords on Tuesday the Duke of
Bedford called attention to the reductions in the Regular Army and the Regular Reserve, to the deficiency of officers in the Regular Army and in the Special Reserve, and to the state of the Special Reserve. He moved that a. special inquiry be instituted into the condition of the Special Reserve, and as to the extent to which it is fitted to discharge the duties of the Regular Reserve which would devolve upon it in time of war. He pointed out that nine reserve cadres of the Regular Army had been disbanded. At the same time, the number of men actually serving in the home battalions had been reduced, thus giving a diminished reserve-creating power in the cadres and necessitating an increased number of Reservists to complete regiments on mobilisation. The position, in fact, was this : the reserve-making power of the Regular Army had been diminished to an extent which could not be accurately esti- mated. Nothing had been put in the place of the abolished Militia system, and for compensation the country was told to put its trust in the Special Reserve. He wanted to know whether the country was justified in doing so. That was why lie asked for an inquiry at once. To learn the lesson in war might mean the ruin of the country.
